Choice
by WitchyCloudpine
Summary: "Choices are the hinges of destiny." The voice was smooth over the phone. "You have 24 hours to make yours." - This was their last job. Simple extraction. They could never explain how it had gone so wrong. WARNING: Strong violence
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"What's your greatest fear, Ariadne?"

Her breathing was labored; coming out in short puffs and gasps. She was sitting uncomfortably on a wooden chair, her arms bent and tied awkwardly behind her back. She was slouched over herself, and a small red stain was noticeable on her right thigh. A droplet of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth and landed on her pants, causing the stain to grow. Her hair hung in front of her face, damp from perspiration.

A voice whispered in her ear, "Is it pain?"

A gunshot fired, and Ariadne's scream filled the still air as she wiggled to protect her shattered kneecap.

The smooth voice continued to talk. "Dom has always believed that pain is in the mind. I believe, however, that emotional pain is just as useful of a tool. Don't you agree?"

Ariadne's gasping was the only response. She didn't even look up when she felt the speaker place his hands lightly on her thighs as he knelt in front of her. She didn't want to raise her head to stare into his face as he spoke gently to her.

"I know you know where the rest of your team is hiding, Ariadne. You sent them away when you caught some of my men tracking them, didn't you? Hmm?"

Ariadne merely spat a splatter of blood in his direction. She heard a chuckle in response.

"Yes, yes, I know you're upset. But really, it will not take much to find out where they are hiding. I've always prided myself in my ability to be persuasive. I've always been a firm believer that wearing down the mind is much easier than wearing down the body. However, I believe that is enough for today. We will try again tomorrow, yes?"

Ari continued to watch the blood splatter grow on her pants. She didn't want to see him raise the gun.

Ari woke with a gasp. She was alone in her cell. Footsteps were receding around the corner.

And she began to scream.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

A chorus of "Slainte!" was heard around the bar. It was St. Patrick's Day, and Dom Cobb's team had managed to get a night off to enjoy the holiday. They had been holed up in Cork, Ireland for the past 3 weeks, and Eames and Ariadne had been pushing to have a good time. It didn't take long for Dom to cave in. After all, what could be better than St. Patty's in Ireland?

Eames and Ariadne slammed their shot glasses down. The bar was loud and crowded, filled with heavy Irish brogue and music. Dom was chatting quietly with Arthur, his face much more relaxed as he took a drink from his pint.

Dom had been able to go home to his family. His name had been cleared, and he was able to move on. The government had called him back, though, using his new status as a way to blackmail him back into one more job. One _final_ job.

As far as Ariadne had been filled in, it was another simple extraction job. A very skilled extractor had gone rogue. The government claims he had been bought out by another country, and all they need is to find out who bought him out, for how much, and what his goal was.

Yusef was tailing him tonight. They had been following him for weeks, studying his habits and daily routines. Yusef had updated them a few minutes before they entered the bar, letting them know the target, too, was going out for the night. So far, there had been no more updates.

Ariadne came to stand next to Cobb and Arthur, throwing her arms around their necks. "Oh boys…" She said, her words a little slurred and her eyes a little unfocused. "I'm having a _wonderful_ night. Isn't this _great_?"

Arthur and Dom hadn't hit the bar as hard as Eames and her had tonight, but the laughed when she pulled them closer, shouting, "I Just _love_ you guys!"

She exploded with laughter when Eames grabbed her 'round the waist and spun her out of their grip, saying, "C'mon, darlin', let's go dance."

The two were right smashed out of their minds.

Things had been different these past couple of months. After Dom left for a bit, the group had dispersed, but it had been hard. After only a few weeks, Ariadne called Arthur in desperation. She hadn't been sleeping, having hit the stage where she stopped dreaming at all. She had been near tears. He had stayed with her up until Dom had called a month ago.

Dom wasn't sure if there had been something going on. The two kept very quiet, and he hadn't felt the need to press them any further. However, he noticed his friend keep a close eye on their coworker on the dance floor.

"You gonna dance with her at all?"

Arthur looked at him sharply. "Why would I do that?"

Dom merely gave him a look, but his friend refused to give up any information. He sighed, and glanced back out on the dance floor as well. Ariadne had a beer in one hand; Eames who was twirling her around held the other. They looked like a drunken mess, but Dom couldn't help but find it funny.

He continued to watch as one of the Irish locals walked up, trying to get her attention. Eames spun her in the opposite direction, giving him time to growl something in the man's ear. His face was perfectly composed by the time Ariadne was able to focus on him again.

Dom laughed to himself again, but was cut short by his phone vibrating in his pocket.

"Hello?"

Yusef's voice was panicked on the other end of the line. "I can't find him. He's gone."

Dom sat straighter in his chair. Arthur's eyes flicked back to his best friend, and he muttered, "What is it?"

Dom plugged his other ear with his finger, trying to drown out the noise. "What do you mean? Did you lose him?"

"I guess! Listen, I followed him in, but a crowd cut me off. I searched the whole damn building and even outside. He's not here."

Dom uttered a few choice words. "Get out of there. I don't know if he realized we're tailing him or not. Just get out and meet us back at the hotel." He barely registered Yusef's reply as he hung up.

Arthur stared him down. Dom motioned at the dance floor, "Get Ari and Eames. I'll grab the car."

As Dom hurried toward the door, he glanced back to see Arthur struggling a little to keep Ari on her feet. The dancing hadn't helped her sense of balance. Dom gave a frustrated sigh. This was not what they needed right now.


	3. Chapter 2

**Hello Everyone!** Thank you guys to all of you who marked this as a favorite. I appreciate that a lot! What I love even more than that, though, are reviews! The hardest part of writing a story for me is getting through the beginning, and your reviews remind me you like it! So please do! Thanks!

**Chapter 2**

Dom pulled up to the front of the bar with a violent stop. He rolled down the passenger's window, a look of barely contained frustration on his face.

"Get her in the back." He barked at Arthur, even though the man was already in the process of doing just that. Arthur merely sighed, used to Dom's extreme mood swings.

Eames had already claimed shotgun while Arthur had been carefully placing Ariadne in the backseat, so the point man quickly climbed in on the other side. He had barely got his other foot inside the car before Dom took of, swinging the door shut with it's own momentum.

Eames couldn't help but ask. "Christ, Cobb, what's going on?"

Dom's knuckles were white on the steering wheel as he drove twice the speed limit. Ariadne even managed to sit herself up, making an attempt to focus on Arthur. She was just as confused as Eames. Cobb kept his voice controlled, "Yusef lost track of Wiedoff."

"Oh, hell." Ariadne mumbled then gave a large yawn.

Arthur leaned forward. "Is there any sign he knows we're onto him?"

"Yusef didn't say. We're meeting him back at the hotel. I'm not taking any chances."

Eames turned to look at Arthur and Ariadne. When he spun back around, he was grinning. "We still have to work on building up Ari's tolerance."

Ariadne had passed out, her head resting on Arthur's arm. Arthur replied, "I'm just glad she hasn't thrown up yet. You guys were taking shots like they were the last liquid on earth."

Eames shrugged in the front seat, "It's St. Patty's. What do you expect?"

It was Dom's turn to reply as he swung a hard right. The hotel was just in view. "Perhaps some discretion?"

"Oh come off it! It's not like any of us expected this to happen. Besides, the bird should be allowed to have some fun."

"We're not here for fun, Eames" Dom growled as he pulled sharply into the parking lot.

"But we're going to go bloody insane if we don't have some soon. Ari's too young not to be allowed to have a good time."

Dom didn't even bother to respond. They all got out, Arthur carefully slipping out from under Ari. Once out of the car, he gently picked her up and followed them into the lobby. Nobody gave a second glance. It was St. Patty's in Ireland.

Yusef was pacing the room as they walked in. Dom immediately exploded. "What the _fucking _hell happened?"

Eames immediately shut the door after making sure they weren't being followed. Arthur went to one of the two beds, placing Ari tenderly on one of the pillows and covering her with the comforter.

"I told you before! Crowd came and blocked my way! He was gone by the time I made it through!"

Eames sat down in a chair and clasped his hands. "And there were no signs of him recognizing you?"

Yusef didn't answer immediately. He ran a shaky hand through his hair. Dom's fist slammed on the table, making everyone except Ariadne jump. "_Did he fucking see you?_"

Yusef paused for a second. "He may have."

Dom through his hands in the air and got up to pace the room. Eames blew out a heavy breath and leaned back. Arthur remained sitting on the bed, deep in thought. It was a few minutes before Dom responded.

"We're going to lay low for a bit. Stay close to the hotel; don't go more that two buildings away. Arthur, tomorrow you and I are going to quick check to see if he's at home. If he's not, we know he's taken off and we'll have to work quickly to find him. The rest of you, however, will stay here."

The other three did not question him. Dom sighed and pulled up a chair to sit in. Ariadne rolled over in her dreamless sleep, and Arthur caught sight of metallic green around her neck. Carefully, he pulled off the Mardi Gras style necklace.

He frowned when he heard Eames chuckle, "Happy St. Patrick's Day, darlin'."

****

Ariadne woke the next day with a killer hangover. The blinds had, thankfully, been shut, but the room was empty. She hadn't woken alone in while. One of the boys had always been there with an early morning quip.

She glanced around the hotel suite they had been supplied with. It was like any standard hotel room, except the double doors facing directly opposite of her had two more beds behind them. One of the doors was cracked open, giving her a view of one of the beds. It looked untouched.

Slowly she rolled off the bed, and peered inside. The other bed's sheets were rumpled and she breathed a sigh of relief knowing that someone had been here. She peeked in the bathroom as well, but saw no one.

Ariadne padded back into the main bedroom, and headed towards the windows. She pulled back the shade, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the bright light. They were on the 2nd floor, and Ari searched the tables of the coffee shop next to their hotel for some familiar faces. She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding when she spotted Arthur and Cobb. Paperwork was spread out on the table in front of them. She saw Eames sitting a little ways away keeping a close eye on their surroundings.

Suddenly, Ari felt hairs on the back of her neck. She couldn't explain why she suddenly felt unsafe. Her eyes flicked back to her coworkers, looking for anything out of place. Her eyes slid over to the building opposite their hotel, raking over every window when she spotted it: A man with binoculars, nearly eye level with her. She couldn't see his face, but the binoculars were trained on the coffee shop.

Suddenly, they moved, and were facing here. She saw the man raise a hand, looking like he was almost giving her a wave. Then he was gone, and the blinds were drawn.

It took Ari less than ten seconds to whip out her phone and call the number she's known by heart.


	4. Chapter 3

Wow! I'm so flattered by all of you subscribing to my story! Thank you so much! I'd love you all ten times more if you'd leave me a review! :)

**Chapter 3**

Ari sat with her knees pulled up to her chest. Almost all her nails were chewed away. Instead she gnawed at the skin surrounding her tattered nail beds.

The call had been brief. And vague. Arthur had answered after one ring.

"Get up. Move through the back of the café. Come in through the back of the hotel."

She had watched him shut the phone without a response. He sent a quick text message, then headed into the café with Cobb and out of sight. Eames had followed a few minutes later, having received Arthur's notification.

Ariadne had barely registered this though. Her eyes, by then, were trained on the window directly opposite her. She took in every detail, scanned the other windows for some clue, but found none.

She had about 4 minutes and 37 seconds to decide what she was going to tell them.

By mentioning someone was _definitely_ watching them brought up more concerns that she let herself think of. By saying that she saw somebody who _looked_ as if they _may_ be following them, well, it softens the blow.

She heard the card click into the slot, and within that millisecond she made her decision.

Arthur stood dark and intimidating in the doorframe. He immediately strode into the room; his eyes sweeping the entire are for any sign of danger. Eames followed him in, heading towards the other room with his hand on his gun.

Cobb quietly shut the door. He was talking very fast on his cell phone in a hushed voice. Ari jumped when it snapped shut.

"Yusef lost him. But he's going to take a longer route to swing back."

Ari's head shot up. "Lost who?"

Cobb glanced for a second at Arthur then back to Ariadne. She frowned, hating it when they did this. Finally Cobb sighed, "His tail." Ariadne would have laughed at the answer if it weren't for the fact she knew its context. Her breathing stopped for a second.

"How did you know?"

"He had been sitting two seats away from Yusef. He was watching him very closely."

Arthur came sat in the chair next to her, on edge and staring out the window. Ariadne felt a tension in the distance between his chair and hers. Right now she just needed someone to hold on to. However, she wasn't going to cause more anxiety than was necessary.

Cobb's voice was sharp when he said, "Why did you call, Ariadne?"

She paused a moment, rethinking every single thought she just had, before answering, "I think someone may be watching the room."

There was a heavy silence. Eames broke it first, "This room?"

Ari gave a sigh, "This room? The café? Us? I'm just not sure. But I saw some stuff today."

Cobb strode quickly to the window, carefully peeking out the side to create less of a target for himself. However, they seemed safe at the moment. He inclined his head toward her, "What sort of stuff, Ari?"

This was the point Ariadne was unsure of what to do. She wanted to tell them everything, knowing they would do everything they could to make her feel safe. She also wanted them to be safe as well, and sharing with them what she knew might make them a little more careful. At the same time, she wanted to protect _them_. They had much more important things to worry about. They had had many people tail them before for less violent reasons. It was usually just their employer making sure they were doing their jobs. Getting distracted by something like this could make them careless about Wiedoff.

"I saw someone watching the café from the building across from us." She said slowly.

Nobody questioned her if it was just an average civilian. They all knew Ariadne knew the difference.

Cobb was still near the window. "Exactly across from us?"

Ariadne nodded. "They have their blinds drawn."

Ariadne felt vulnerable. It could be a worker from their employer….or it could be a sniper, for all Ari knew. She didn't like not knowing much else, nor did she like causing more tension for her boys.

She said quickly, "I'll keep watching. My guess is that it's someone from the government checking up on us. I'm sure it's nothing."

Arthur met her eyes after she finished speaking and said, "We're not calling it nothing until we're absolutely sure. "

Cobb cut him off quickly though. "No, Ariadne is right. She can keep watch. We have a lot to get done." He let the blinds fall back into place and paced the room. "We still haven't found Wiedoff and we need to get this job finished as fast as we can."

Arthur frowned, "We can't be sloppy, Dom." He leaned forward, his hand on the table only a millimeter away from hers. Ari's hand balled into a fist and she put it in her lap, resisting the urge to close that distance.

"It's not being sloppy." He said harshly. "Ariadne's a big girl. She can handle this on her own for now. If anything happens, she will tell us." He looked at Ari. "Right?"

She nodded, feeling the knot in her stomach grow tighter. If anything strange went on, she would get them out immediately.

Ariadne had read the file on Adrian Wiedoff. He was cunning, manipulative, and dangerous. He had become more and more unstable as the years went on. They needed to get this job done for the sake of a lot of people around the globe, but she wasn't going to risk putting her friends' lives in danger.

"Of course, Dom."

Ari felt a familiar warmth on her hand. Arthur was gently prying open her fist. She had completely forgotten about it.

Cobb had moved away from them, and Arthur whispered, "Are you sure you're ok with this?" She could hear his unsaid words: _'Are you ok doing this alone?'_

She nodded, giving him a small smile. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

Ariadne felt him give her hand a small squeeze.


	5. Chapter 4

HELLO everyone. Okay, so, just hear me out quick. I'm going to apologize in advance. I am now in my last week of being home with family and friends before college, so I really haven't been near the computer at all. I apologize. I have been shopping like a maniac, packing like a maniac, and just trying to soak up the rest of my summer. So unfortunately it may take a while to update after this ONLY because after I get to college I have Welcome Week, and then actually have to figure out how to run my life AT college on my own. So it may take some adjustments, and I may not have time to post a chapter. JUST A FOREWARNING. So I'll squeeze as much in as I can.

Know what helps updates/chapters? Reviews. Many of you are very kind and subscribe, but reviews are like early Christmas presents. I'd virtually high five you if you would review. Thanks guys. You're the best!

**Chapter 4**

Vulnerable.

It was something Ariadne had been feeling a lot like lately. She was sitting in the lobby of the hotel, scoping for some sign that someone might be following them. She wanted to secure as much of the building as she could.

She was also very anxious. Cobb and Arthur had gone in search of Wiedoff, and Ari hadn't heard from them since. Eames was checking out the apartment complex across from them where she had first spotted their supposed stalker. He had felt uncomfortable letting her do this alone.

"No one should have to handle this on their own, darlin'." He had said to her, throwing a protective arm around her shoulder as they walked down to the lobby only a few minutes ago. "Cobb can be a bit of a knob sometimes, is all."

Yusef was up in the room. He had been exhausted staying up all night for the past few days. It wasn't really sleep he got. Like the rest of them, he merely rested up.

Ariadne glanced at her watch as she twisted her bishop in her hand. Things had been confusing lately between her and Arthur, and it was important for her to have a clear head on the job. She was failing miserably at the moment.

Ari wasn't sure if there was so much passion and tension between them that they would burn up too quickly if they advanced any further, or if their hesitation was going to create a brick wall that would slowly disintegrate their relationship. Whatever their relationship was…The problem was that Arthur had seen Ari in stages she didn't want_ anyone_ to see. So private of moments that she wasn't quite sure how to handle him knowing about them. Hell, even Cobb had no clue. She worked hard to shield any projections from letting on about her thoughts. She made sure to keep them buried deep down.

It had first started after the Inception job. She had surfaced from the van and screamed at the open water for a while. Arthur managed to tug her eyes away to focus on him before she melted down.

It had happened again when she called him crying on the phone. He hadn't personally been there, but she shed every barrier she built to keep him away. It was her pleading with him to just _be_ there that had him out the door immediately. It also embarrassed her to no end.

The last one was two days before Cobb's crew met up. She confessed how she had hoped they could talk about where they stood in that relationship. Ari wasn't even sure if it was a relationship, but it was the only word she could think of at the time. It had been a very personal request, and one that they hadn't had time to answer or bring up again. Ari didn't want to.

Which led to her feeling vulnerable.

So much was out there, so much they hadn't talked about, and she wasn't sure if they ever were or not.

Not to mention she was sitting, staring off into space contemplating all of this while the man seated across from her with his coffee cup had been staring at her, as if he was waiting for her to finish.

Ariadne froze.

The man smirked into his coffee.

Ari was afraid to take her eyes off him, even though they were in a crowded lobby. Her hand still held her bishop. She flicked it as subtly as she could on the cushion. It flipped over.

Her eyes flitted around the lobby. Eames was still nowhere in sight.

The man set his cup down, answering her thoughts. "No, he's still searching the hallway of my complex."

Ari said nothing. She took notice of every possible detail of the man, hoping she'd be alive long enough to tell Cobb and Arthur.

She wasn't quite positive if he hair was dark blonde or light brown, but it was obvious is spent some time on it. It was gelled, but windswept, and some of the pieces flicked in front of his blue eyes. They were narrowed, but seemed smaller than most peoples'. Ari took note of his strong jaw line and the straightness of the bridge of his nose. Arthur strongly disapproved of her doing this, but the man reminded her of Charlie Bewley, an actor she had just recently seen at the movies.

The man set his coffee cup down. He leaned back, utterly at ease, and laced his fingers.

"I don't have much time, Ariadne, as your friend Eames will be back soon." He sat forward, staring her in the eye. She didn't move. Like a frightened doe, she was ready to bolt in a second. "_I need to know where Dominic Cobb is._"

Ari said nothing, staring at him as if he spoke a different language. He sighed. "I don't have much time for patience either." He withdrew a card. It had a phone number with area code on it. No name. No address. No information. "You have until tomorrow to call that number."

He stood up, and Ari took notice of his clothes: Green sweater, dark jeans, black jacket that was too hot for the weather. She made a mental note to remember all that.

He stepped toward her, his coat flying open from his sudden movement. Ari saw a hint of the artillery he was carrying.

He glared down at her. "Try not to procrastinate."


	6. Chapter 5

**Thanks to everyone who stuck by and waited for this story to continue. College has been rough, and left me no time to update 2 stories at once. I have a boondock saints story that I'm particularly keen to finish, but this hasn't left my mind yet. Sooooo as a Christmas present (or whatever holiday you happen to celebrate. Everyone loves presents.) here is another chapter. Cheers! (p.s. I'd love reviews.)**

**Chapter 5:**

Ariadne sat frozen on the loveseat for what seemed like an hour. She glanced at the clock. The whole ordeal had lasted five minutes. Her mind whirred as she tried to calm herself out of the sheer panic that threatened to overwhelm her.

This wasn't the government tracking them.

Her co-workers were not safe.

That man worked for Wiedoff.

She knew all of this as though it were common sense. She knew it as well as she knew that fire burned and kindness was good. Ari hated forcing herself to think through these tough decisions. There was a reason that Cobb was always in charge and Arthur was the right-hand man. She was the architect. That was all.

Yet here she was with the largest burden she has ever had to bear.

So she sat and collected herself. She knew her team was continuing to search for Wiedoff. She knew that Eames would probably pass the man who came to see her on his way out the door of the complex opposite the hotel. He would not have any idea who he was or the threat he posed. She knew that this man was not lying and that he would hold true to every word he said; even the ones left unsaid.

"_Y__ou have until tomorrow to call that number '__or your friends are dead__'."_

Ari knew where her thoughts were going. She even knew they were stupid and reckless. This wasn't like a movie where the heroic thing to do was to save everyone by bearing this burden alone, and the brave heroine would conquer all with her intelligence, cunning, courage, and determination. This was real life, and she didn't know if she had the ability to overcome such a difficult task.

Ari knew she was brave, she had proven that, but this was something altogether. Her actions affected them all.

Emotions clouded her thoughts, however, of sharing this like she knew she should. She wanted to keep them safe. Protect them while they worked to find Wiedoff himself. Catch him, and perhaps the danger would be over.

All of this information passed through her mind in a matter of seconds. After she let it settle, she boxed her feelings away and composed herself in the little time she had left.

Though people milled about her, a certain set of footsteps pricked her ears.

"No sign of him." Eames whispered in her ear. Ari could feel her heart speed up, and her thoughts start to fight to rise out of the depths that she buried them in.

Eames sat down in front of her. His eyes scanned the room for anything suspicious, roaming over Ari as if she was invisible. Perhaps it was sheer luck. She knew he would have known immediately that something was wrong.

"You should go find Cobb and Arthur." Her voice wavered only slightly when she spoke. Eames didn't notice; his attention elsewhere. However, he nodded in agreement.

Finally, he focused his eyes on her. "You going to be alright for a few minute?"

Ari gave him the best smile she could. She could feel it start to falter after a second, but Eames seemed to overlook that. He reached over, patted her on the knee, and headed back out the door without a second glance.

Ari was up and out of her seat in a matter of seconds. She made an immediate left for the elevators.

During the time that Eames had been sitting near her, she gathered her wits enough to realize she needed to call that number. Cobb and Arthur, _especially_ Arthur, wouldn't leave her alone the moment they got back.

She bolted into the room, locked the door, and immediately glanced out the window. The blinds across were still drawn. It didn't matter. She still felt his gaze from that distance.

Ari bent over and shuffled through the stacks of papers on the table until she found what she was look for – a cell phone. She turned back the window, dialing the number at the same time.

He picked up on the first ring.

"Very prompt. I like that. I'm glad you did not take what I said lightly."

Ari took a deep breathe and said in a steely voice, "Stop being a coward and open the blinds."

Immediately, the blinds were drawn up on the complex she faced. She had a short intake of breath, something she mentally cursed herself for.

His voice was very cool when he spoke next. "I appreciate your nerve as well. However, lose the tone."

Ari still could not see him. Although the blinds were drawn and it was sunny outside, the room still melted into shadows. She confidence began to wane at an even faster rate.

"What is it you want?"

"Like I told you, Ariadne, I need to know where Dominic Cobb."

"You already know where he is. You have our location."

He chuckled. "Oh no dear. He left today, didn't he? To go and look for Wiedoff, correct?"

He took her muteness as a sign to go on. "Yes, well you see my men were tracking him, and we lost him after a good few minutes, so I need _you_ to make my life a little easier and find him. _Now_."

He hung up.

Ari stood stock-still. If she called, Dom would answer, and in a matter of minutes his location would be tracked. If she did not, she would be killed. That fact didn't matter so much, except that if she were dead, her co-workers would be caught unaware.

She stepped away from the window. Dom answered on the second ring.

"Ari? Is everything alright?"

"Listen carefully, don't interrupt. You are being tracked. They work for Wiedoff." She paced as she spoke. "They're trying to find you and will lock in your GPS coordinates through this call. You have to get out of the country. Lay low for a bit. I'll keep tracking him."

"Ari, _get away from the window_."

Her immediate instinct was to drop to the ground and dive to the side. A shower of bullets shattered the glass, puncturing the bed, shattering the decorative vases and mirrors, spewing papers, and cutting great holes into the woodwork. She rolled as far away as she could, covering her head from the breaking glass as she moved. She had two minutes at most to gather what she needed as bullets continued to pass above her.

Ari grabbed the phone lying by her side. She tucked and rolled into the bedroom, hoping she hadn't been spotted. Her backpack was just inside the door, and she snatched it immediately.

She had time to pack two pairs of jeans, a sweatshirt, and the two t-shirts bundled in a dirty pile at the foot of the bed. She rifled through the suitcase only a foot away, knowing that Arthur would have something helpful stashed. She grabbed a Beretta and placed it in the back of her waistband after carefully switching on the safety, and shoved as many packs of ammunition that she could grab in the bag.

The bullets subsided. She had a minute at most.

She found Arthur's toothbrush as well as toothpaste, deodorant, and even a comb, and stashed that as well. There wasn't much room left, but she grabbed as much cash as she could find in the boys' suitcases, knowing the exact compartment that they kept it stashed.

Ari crawled back into the main room and hurried along the wall to the door. She glanced out the peephole and saw nothing. It was her only chance.

As quickly as she could, she slid out and hurried to the stairwell as the neighboring rooms began to open their doors.


	7. Chapter 6

**I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack! **

**Chapter 6:**

_Twenty-six. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight._

Ariadne had managed to get out of the room and to the hotel stairs almost immediately without anyone seeing her – a small miracle. These led to the lobby where she hoped to slip out to the back to the garden and pool area. While it wasn't the safest option, it was in the opposite direction of the semi-automatic gun that had destroyed her room.

_Twenty-nine. Thirty. Thirty-one. Thirty-two. _

She was counting the stairs as she raced down them, bouncing off the walls and practically throwing herself down the next flight. It was a habit she developed after the inception case. She had tried to find a solution the anxiety that built up when she discovered she could no longer dream, that she had gone so deep during that case that her mind no longer created dreams on its own. As she lay on the hotel bed for third night in a row, she had counted the number of times a blade on the fan on the ceiling of her room completed a rotation. That night, she fell asleep almost instantly, getting the first decent night's rest she had since the job. Dreamless, but it allowed her body and mind to rejuvenate.

_Thirty-three. Thirty-four. _

Her hipbone collided with the metal railing she clung to as she turned down the final flight of stairs, causing her to wince in pain.

_Thirty-six. Thirty-seven. Thirty-eight. Thirty-nine._

Ariadne couldn't place the exact moment she realized she would start counting things. Suddenly she just seemed to realize that she knew the coffee maker would drip 12 times after it filled the pot, or that she brushed her teeth for exactly 65 seconds as she counted in her head.

_Forty. Forty-one. Forty-two._

Arthur had never brought it up, but she knew he noticed. The point man caught every detail about her.

_Forty-four. Forty-five. Forty-six._

She was at the foot of the stairs, just behind the door that enters into the lobby. Ari knew the longer she stayed in the hotel, the larger the likelihood that one of the men working for Wiedoff would find her. She took a deep breath, pulled the hood of her sweatshirt up, and set her eyes on the door leading to the back gardens about fifteen feet to her right.

Ari pushed open the door and headed straight for her target. She kept her eyes focused, not wanting to be distracted by the possibility that any one of these people could be trying to kill her. Her hands pushed open the door, and she breathed a small sigh of relief as she stepped onto the patio.

The hotel had a beautiful garden and patio set up in the back open to guests, with a pool to the far right. To her left was an open bar, only being staffed by one man at the moment. Farther behind him was a small gate, easy enough to jump over if necessary, that led to the entrance of the hotel's kitchen and the staff's parking lot.

Without missing a beat, she hurried as quickly as she could past the bartender without drawing attention to herself. The gate, to her surprise, swung wide open at her touch, and she ducked to the side of the building and out of sight of the rest of the guests and workers.

There was no time to rest, however. Not yet. Ari pushed herself off the wall and nearly yelped in pain. She must have twisted her ankle at some point when she was dashing down the stairs, and the adrenaline had kept her from noticing. She didn't even want to look at the bruise that must be forming on her hipbone. Still, she was wasting too much time and was too exposed in this parking lot.

Slowly, sweating profusely and glancing back almost every five seconds, Ari made her way across the parking lot, around the back of the next two buildings, and ended up at a corner a block up next to a local bus stop. She could see small outlines of people at the coffee shop in front of her hotel. She was still incredibly exposed, but it was the best idea that came to mind. Ari knew she needed to relocate herself to another part of the city, get away from the boys and draw attention away from them. No doubt Wiedoff's men would search the hotel and room and figure out she wasn't there. It would only be a matter of time before they tracked her down by her cell-.

Ari froze. Her cell phone. They could track it. It would be too easy. Perhaps the lead she got on them already wouldn't be enough. A jolt of fear coursed through her. Her cell felt like a lifeline. She could call Arthur or Eames or Cobb, and they would come find her and save her.

But that was the last thing she wanted. Right at this moment, Cobb would know that their room had been destroyed. He knew he had a tail, and it wasn't issued by the government. He would be forced to lay low, fuming that he wouldn't be able to get back to help her. Arthur would be a wreck. She had no idea where Eames was at the time, but he would probably be the closest to the hotel. Ari prayed he wouldn't run into any of Wiedoff's men. Yusef.,…

Ari frowned. Yusef was supposed to have been in the room sleeping, or at least that was what he had said, but when Ari had crawled into the other bedroom he was nowhere to be found. This alone worried her, but right now her priority was getting away from the building, and hopefully drawing the attention of whoever wanted dead.

Ari threw her phone on the ground, making sure to crush as much of it as she could with her good heel. She'd find another way to get in touch with the boys. Next, she dug through the backpack, grabbing a few crumbled bills and a handful of change for her bus.

As she saw the local bus turn the corner, she glanced behind her making sure there was no one out of place. If she was lucky, she could make it to another part of the city without anyone noticing.

The bus rolled to a stop at her feet, and Ari climbed in.


	8. Chapter 7

**Wow. So I have to say thank you all for continuing to read my story! I know cliffhangers can be the biggest pet peeve, especially when I take probably the longest hiatus from writing in the history of my existence. ALSO, just found out that I had my profile set so it wasn't notifying me of any reviews! I figured nobody was reading it, but turns out you guys are! That made me **_**so**_** happy. Can't tell you how much I appreciate your constant support. **

**Alright, enough sappiness from me. Enjoy the next chapter! (FYI, since my grouping of characters has now split with Ari taking off, I'm doing this chapter from another setting. It's a little short, but let me know your thoughts. Don't worry, I'll be back to Ari soon!)**

**Chapter 7**

Cobb and Arthur listened silently as the sound of gunshots overpowered any other noise on the other side of the phone. They heard Ariadne shriek in fear, a static sound, as if the phone was being dragged across the carpet, and then the line went dead.

Arthur's eyes immediately focused on Cobb's face, but the latter seemed to be fixated with a spot on the wall, his eyes unblinking. In a tightly controlled voice, Arthur ground out, "Cobb, what _exactly_ did she say?"

Cobb seemed to snap out of his thoughts, and purposefully strode to the door to his left to check what was going on in the adjacent room. He spoke quickly and quietly without glancing at Arthur. "Wiedoff knows we're tracking him."

Arthur made an exasperated sigh, signaling he already knew this, and moved to stand on the other side of the doorframe. His eyes flicked to Dom, who was checking the magazine clip in his Sig Sauer handgun, before returning to look through the small window in the door at the empty restaurant.

They were at the same restaurant Yusef had been tailing Wiedoff the night all hell broke loose. When they had grilled Yusef for even the smallest details, he had mentioned that he had a clear view of half the restaurant when the crowd came, and that the only spot he couldn't see was the back left corner from the entrance. Cobb and Arthur had searched both restrooms, and the kitchen before discovering the small poker room in the back. It had been cleared pretty well of anything tying to Wiedoff, but they had discovered some Russian rubles, probably meant to be a tip for whoever had served their drinks but was never collected.

Cobb had seen the money and immediately groaned. "Russians. Damnit." They were some of the last people Cobb had hoped to ever encounter again.

Arthur had asked if he believed they were the ones who bought out Wiedoff, merely for a verbal confirmation. They both knew that their situation had gotten a lot worse.

Now, Cobb was scanning the dining room for any sign of Wiedoff's hired help. Quietly, he said, "He's sent us a tail. A few, by the sound of it." Cobb was breathing deeply. The dining room seemed empty, and he could see the door that exited out to the front street. There was another door that led to the back, which he quickly turned toward after placing his cell phone on the countertop. Wiedoff's men would trace it here. It was unavoidable. The best him and Arthur could do was clear out before they were overwhelmed.

Arthur followed close on his heels, checking his gun as well. "_And?_ What else did she say, Dom? Dom!"

Cobb still didn't look at him. "She wants us to lay low. Leave the country if we can manage it."

"Yeah, not fucking likely." Arthur mumbled, his voice barely audible.

Cobb continued on as if he hadn't heard. He knew Arthur was holding it together, but he could practically feel the tension in his body radiating off him. Despite wanting to keep this last bit of information from his partner, Dom knew he needed to share it with him. He nudged the back door open with his boot, sending a silent prayer of thanks when it opened without a sound. "She's hoping to hunt Wiedoff on her own."

He was about to step out of the kitchen, knowing they only had minutes until Wiedoff's team tracked the two of them here, but he felt Arthur's iron clad grip on his arm yank him backwards.

"_What?_" He hissed.

Cobb wrestled his arm out of Arthur's grip before pointing a steady finger at him. "Listen to me. We don't have time for this right now. Right now, we have to get the fuck out of here so we can get back without bringing an entire gang of hired help with us."

The restaurant was a good 25-30 minutes away from the hotel they were staying at. They needed to move. Now. Arthur realized this, releasing his grip on Cobb's shoulder and nodding for his friend to take point this time. He took a few seconds too pull himself back together into the stoic point man that he was, and followed Cobb out.

They made it out of the building without any problem, and their car was parked a block down. They hurried as quickly as they could, and slid into the interior of the car with relief. The car purred to life, and Cobb quickly peeled out to merge with the traffic. Arthur watched for any signs of someone following them, be it in a car or on foot, but found none.

The silence was thick and heavy in the car. Finally, Cobb said, "You should call Eames. He was the closest to her. Or Yusef. I think he had gone to get something to eat at the pub across the street."

Arthur jerked his head as an attempt at a polite nod. He was, for some reason, still furious with Dom.

Eames answered on the second ring. "Well hello, gorgeous."

"Where are you?"

"On my way to meet up with you-"

Arthur cut him off. "How far away from the hotel are you?"

"About fifteen minutes. Stuck in this bloody traffic now, aren't I?"

Arthur to a deep breath through his nose. "Turn around now."

"What? You've got to be joking. Why-"

"Because we screwed up." And suddenly, it dawned on Arthur why he couldn't let go of his anger with Dom. "Because we left her alone. She was alone, and Wiedoff's men attacked."

"Christ. Knew she shouldn't have tried to handle this on her own. On my way." Eames hung up without another word.

If the tension was thick in the car before, it was nothing compared to now. Neither made any attempt to break the silence.


	9. Chapter 8

**Hello, readers! Sorry it's taken a couple weeks for another chapter. I have a Boondock Saints story that I'm working on that I got caught up in! Check it out if you've ever seen the movie, although it's DEFINITELY not your average BDS fanfic. Once again, thank you for the reviews! I enjoy reading every single one of them, and I hope you all like where I'm going with the story. I am so honored that some of you have listed me as a favorite author or this as a favorite story. Thank you! I hope you enjoy the next chapter! **

**Chapter 8**

Ari had rode the bus for an hour and a half, watching for any signs that someone suspicious was on it with her. She had twitched as the older man in the back with salt and pepper hair had moved past her to get off at his stop. She chewed the inside of her lip every time the mother of the little boy with the toy airplane would scold him for not sitting in his seat. She had eyed a man in a dark suit suspiciously for so long it must have made him uncomfortable because he got off a few stops back and sat down at the bus stop to wait for the next one.

The traffic in cork was absolutely terrible, and it was only worse that the bus had to stop and pull over every couple of blocks. Ari had her hood pulled up, and ducked her head every time a new passenger came on. She set her bag on the seat next to her, hoping to avoid the possibility that someone might try to sit with her.

They passed St. Anne's Church, the bus squeezing through the narrow streets. She had been able to see the lime and sandstone structure from far across the city. A Butter Museum passed by quickly, peaking her interest for a few seconds before her anxiety returned in an overwhelming force. Part of Ari liked how little room there was to maneuver in these streets, and how close the buildings seemed. It made a small part of her feel protected and sheltered. The other part of her felt like a trapped animal, with no open spaces to flee to if she was cornered.

She glanced at her watch as she heard the Shandon bells toll, and realized it was already eight o'clock. Ari had spoken with the driver, after she worked up the courage to leave her seat, and he had said this bus line went as far as Knocknaheeny. It was still about 10 minutes away, but she packed up her stuff and headed towards the front, pushing past the people who had piled on.

When she reached a spot next to the driver, she asked, "Excuse me, but where is the nearest pay phone at the next stop?"

He gave her a strange look in the mirror that faced the passengers. "Don't ye have a mobile?"

Of course. Everyone had cell phones. Who on earth would use a pay phone anymore?

Ari sighed and shook her head. The driver looked puzzled for a moment, then said slowly, "There's a pub up ahead, Flyin' Bottle-"

His accent was so thick, and the chatter on the bus was loud. Ari interrupted, "The Flying what?"

The driver gave a short laugh. "You're obviously not from here are ye, lass?"

He seemed kind, so Ari smiled. "No, just here for business."

"Well the pub's name is Holyhill Inn, but all the Norries know it as the Flyin' Bottle. Ask for that if you get lost. They should have a phone box just outside."

Ari felt as if she needed a translator. "Norries?"

"Aye. Folks from the north side o' Cork. We'll be comin' up on Harbour View road shortly. Walk a few blocks down and ye should see it."

She nodded her head in thanks, gripping her bag tightly to her. It was getting dark, and the streets here did not have as many streetlights.

The driver kept a watchful eye on her in his mirror. As the bus began to slow he finally said, "Keep yer eyes open round here. Bit of a dodgey area. Lot o' bad eggs willin' to snatch a lass such as yerself."

"Thank you." Ari whispered quietly as she stepped off the bus. When she glanced back, the driver was watching her with soft eyes and he raised a hand of farewell. Then he closed the doors and pulled away.

Ari pulled her jacket around her tightly, and began hurrying down the sidewalk. A single street lamp lit each block, and her shoulders hunched every time she walked under the light. She almost preferred the dark; less chance of her being spotted.

It was more than a 'couple' blocks, but finally Ari spotted a neon sign on a brick building ahead. "The Holyhill Inn" shone brightly in the darkness. It had a bright blue fence surround its parking lot, and shouts of laughter could already be heard.

She turned the corner in the bar's parking lot, and her eyes locked onto a payphone on the side of the bar. A light shone above it, and Ari grimaced. She might as well put a sign over head, but it was all she had. It was getting late, and she didn't think anyone had followed her.

She pushed the money in, but paused before she dialed. Who should she call? Dom? No, he would have left or destroyed his phone just as she did when he found out he was being tracked. Arthur?

Something clenched in the pit of Ari's stomach. No, she could not call the point man. The sound of his voice alone might send her back to them. Besides, she needed to explain the (very vague) plan she had in mind: distract Wiedoff, track him on her own, then call the rest of the team when she knew exactly where he was and what he was up to.

She had almost convinced herself it would be that simple.

If she tried to explain this to Arthur, he would only talk over her, insisting that she was not capable of doing this on her own. Despite that she knew she really was not prepared or qualified for this, the fact that she he would say that irked her.

She dialed the next number she could think of. He picked up almost immediately.

"_Ariadne?_"

Eames's voice was strained with worry, and her heart tightened with guilt. "Yes, it's me." She could hear raised voices in the background, and she almost shouted, "Don't let Arthur on the phone!" Her voice had sounded shrill even to her own ears, so she added quickly, "Or Dom."

"Alright, Ari where are- _will you bloody calm yourself?-" _He shouted at someone on his side of the phone. "Sorry. Ari, where on earth are you?"

She pointedly chose to ignore this, and instead said, "Look, I honestly think you guys should get out of Cork, at least for a while."

"Ari, I swear, if you're going to suggest that you-"

Ari butted in, "I'm not going to try to take him down on my own. I promise. But if I can distract him enough you will have more time to track him. Plus, I might actually figure out what he's up to."

Ari had absolutely no idea how she would begin to track Wiedoff, much less discover what he's up to, but she didn't share this with Eames. To be honest, she didn't have a clue what she was doing. She was an architect, not a lone ranger.

"Ari, that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Are you at least still in Cork? Can you tell me that?"

She sighed. "Yes, I'm still in Cork. I'm a ways away, though. It was the first thing I thought to do." Ari thought back to being in the hotel room, and frowned. "Yusef wasn't in the hotel room when I went up there."

Eames was silent on the phone for a while. She almost thought they were disconnected when he said quietly, "Yes, we figured as much. He wasn't at the café either. We haven't been able to locate him yet."

A faint voice could be heard in the background saying, "This better not be like how it was with Nash."

Dom's voice was softer, and she couldn't hear his response. Instead, she said to Eames, "I took some of your money, by the way. Sorry I didn't tell you." 

Eames made a noise that sounded like a mixture of laughter and impatience. "Oh forget the money, sweetheart. That really is the last thing on our minds at the moment."

Ari watched as a single car drove down the deserted street, and followed it with her eyes until its taillights were out of sight. She almost missed everything Eames was saying.

"Wait, sorry, what?"

Eames sighed. "Let us come get you. Please. You've got a bullseye tattooed on your back, so the last thing you should be is alo-_Will you get your hands-"_

"Eames?" She could hear a slight scuffle.

"Ari?" A slightly breathless voice said, and her heart shot into her throat.

"Arthur." She croaked out, still trying to swallow over the pulse beating in her throat.

His voice was low with concern. "Are you alright?"

"Just peachy."

She could practically see him rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "Are you hurt, is what I mean?"

Ari could still feel her ankle and hipbone throbbing, and said quietly, "I'll live."

He whispered in a low voice, "Please, let me come get you. I don't want you out there on your own." She had never heard his voice take this tone, almost pleading. "This isn't just Wiedoff you're dealing with. The Russians are involved, and damnit, they're good at what they do."

"Arthur, it's you they're all after. I'm just a minor inconvenience." She murmured.

"Exactly. If they have no use for you, you're in more danger being away from us."

He was whittling away at the plan she formulated. What if she hadn't drawn Wiedoff's attention away from them? What if she was just distracting her own team? She wouldn't be able to live with that knowledge if something happened to them.

"Arthur-"

"Ari, _please._"

Ariadne could feel her resolve fracturing. She needed to stick to her plan. It was the only plan she had. So she did the only think of.

"No." She said quietly, and hung up.

Ari rested her forehead against the payphone, and took a deep shuddering breath.

She was completely unprepared for the hand that grabbed the back of her head by her hair and slammed her face into the corner of the box.


	10. Chapter 9

**Thanks for all the support! It seems like everyone really is enjoying the story! I appreciate all the reviews. Taking those few seconds to leave your thoughts really means a lot, and reminds me that there are people who like to read this story. I hope January is treating everyone well! It's chilly up here by me… Sorry this chapter is more of a filler and is short, but I figured you should see what the boys are up to one more time. Cheers!**

**Chapter 9**

Arthur stared blankly at the phone in his hand. He silently clicked the redial button with his thumb, waiting for Ari or someone else to pick it up. He waited as it rang, counting the number of times in his head. Once it reached fifteen rings, he hung up.

Then, he spun quickly and held out the silver device to Dom. "Track it."

Dom shook his head. "I don't have the means to do it." When Arthur continued to hold it out, ignoring what Dom said, he continued, "I don't have the technology, Arthur. If no one is picking up on that line, I can't do anything."

Arthur's fingers clenched tightly around the phone. "Bullsh-"

Eames stood from the chair he had sat down in. "Then call the head of NCS, or whoever's number they gave you for emergencies. You'd think the bloody CIA would give us some help on this."

Dom frowned. "This really doesn't classify as an emergency, though. She's _willingly_ staying away from us, and-"

"Christ, Dom!" Arthur shouted. "What needs to happen to classify as a fucking emergency? Have you already forgotten that our hotel was demolished, and Ari was _inside_ while it happened? Or how about how we've crossed into a new territory of being hunted? Wiedoff's men _and_ Russians. Not to mention, we seemed to have lost Yusef as well. Any idea what to do about him? Shouldn't we be looking for him just as much?"

Dom's face reddened, and he snarled, "You're not the only one who wants to find them, Arthur. I do too."

"Do you?" Arthur said with just as much venom. "Because it seems to me that Wiedoff is more focused on finding her than you."

Steam was practically bursting out of Dom's ears, and his fists clenched tightly. He opened his mouth to retort, but Eames interrupted. "This is wasting time. Dom, just call them. It's the least they could do. Haven't been much help lately, anyway."

His teeth were bared in anger, but Dom turned sharply on his heel and walked away to make the call.

Eames's eyes flicked to Arthur. He said quietly, "That was uncalled for before."

Arthur refused to meet his gaze. "Was it? I feel like all we do is leave her alone." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. This disheveled look was something Eames had never seen on the point man. "I swear to God, if something happens to her…"

"Nothing will. She'll be fine." Eames says soothingly, not sure if he believed it himself.

Eames could hear Dom speaking quietly to an agent on the phone, catching only bits of the conversation. "… pinpoint her location… Yes, our architect…. we don't have a few hours…"

He tuned out. They'd get their answer soon enough, one way or another.

Arthur and Eames sat in silence. Well, rather Eames sat; Arthur paced the room like a caged animal.

Finally, Dom's phone snapped shut. His shoulders were tense, and he spoke tersely to the other two. "Knocknaheeny. Right outside a bar called the Holyhill Inn. The agent on the line gave us the number."

He flicked his phone open once again, dialing quickly. He waited a few seconds until someone picked up. "Hello? Yes, we just got a phone call from a friend outside the bar. She needed a ride. Can you tell me if there is a dark haired woman, short…"

The person on the other line was responding, and a crease formed between Dom's eyebrows. He answered as politely as he could. "Well, could you check outside? It was only about ten minutes ago… Yes, I'll hold."

Arthur wanted to ask the obvious question, but he bit his tongue and waited for Dom to finish.

When the person on the line returned, Dom almost shouted, "Are you sure? You checked everywhere?" As he listened to the man on the other line, his face drained of color. He didn't even bother saying his thanks as he hung up.

Dom was eerily quiet. He simply said, "Get your stuff," while he packed up his own items.

Eames broke the silence. "Dom. Where are we going? Will you, for one fucking time in your life, tell us what's going on?"

His teeth were clenched, and his movements were jerky. "They didn't see her. She wasn't in the bar, but apparently they found a bit of blood on the side of the payphone."

Eames blew a big breath out of his cheeks. Arthur was on his feet immediately. "Did they call the police?"

Eames snorted as he packed the rest of his gear. "Knocknaheeny isn't the type of place they'd be calling the police."

Arthur whirled around and gave the chair next to him a sharp kick. "_Goddamnit!"_ He yelled, before stalking off to gather the rest of their gear.

Neither of the other men had any words of comfort to offer this time.


	11. Chapter 10

**Sorry for the story saying it was updated but not posting the chapter. I have no idea why it did that, but I'm glad everything is working fine now. Since it was rather fun to do this with another story, I'm going to issue a challenge to you all as well. Since this chapter was posted, this story has an incredible 52 reviews. I challenge you to reach 62. If I get ten reviews from ten separate reviewers, I promise to post the next chapter by the next day. :) Ok, now let's get to the good stuff. This story is about to get a wholeeeee lot darker. Hope you're all still excited to read it!**

**Chapter 10**

The first thing that tipped Ari off that she was not dreaming was the feeling of her totem in her pocket. She clenched her bishop tightly in her hand, letting its familiar exact weight calm her for a moment. The second was the splitting pain in her forehead that she felt the moment she was pulled from her unconscious state. It caused her to close her eyes tightly, and pulled a weak moan of pain from her throat.

Fear gripped her instantly when she opened her eyes. She could see absolutely nothing. It was completely black. Ari felt as if she had been thrust into some sinister void, as was afraid to speak for fear of what was hidden from her view. For a few moments she panicked that she had gone completely blind. The darkness pressed on all sides of her, and she tried to grip the concrete below her. The feeling of not knowing what was surrounding her was almost overwhelming. Cold metal dug into her ankle, and Ari blindly felt the manacle that shackled her to the floor. She pulled as hard as she could against the thick chain that held her right ankle, but quickly stopped with a yelp of pain. They had shackled her bad ankle. She could feel the blood pound through it with each beat of her pulse, and could feel the same pounding on her forehead.

The room was cold, but it felt small. She couldn't place how she knew it, but it felt as if she could judge the size of the room by how loudly she could hear her breathing, or how muted the sound of the chains rattling seemed. It was as if every sense in her body was on high alert to gather as much information as it could in her disabled state.

Ari's body shook in pain, and she almost wished she could slip into the mind numbing state of shock just to escape it for a while, but she knew she didn't have that luxury. She counted to five, then took all the fear that was curled in the pit of her stomach, locked it all in a box inside of her head, and attempted to bury it in the deepest corner of her mind. Then, Ari took a deep breath, and tried to formulate something that resembled a plan. However, she didn't stock too much faith in this, seeing as how her last plan went.

She lay on her stomach and stretched as far as she could on the chain, gritting her teeth as it tugged on her bad ankle. The tips of her fingers just grazed a wall to her right, nearly causing her to jerk back in surprise. As she lay flat on her stomach, it was then she saw the tiny crack in the far corner of the room. It didn't really let a beam of light in, but it seemed as if it was just a shade or two lighter than the rest of the room. She scooted as close as her shackled ankle allowed her, but there was no noise penetrating the room.

An overpowering feeling of despair came over her suddenly, and Ari let out a scream. "_Help," _She shrieked. "Somebody please _help me!_"

The sound of her voice, so raw and desperate, made her slap both of her palms over her mouth. She let out a small sob and bit into the tender skin of her palm to keep her from screaming herself hoarse.

Ari didn't know how long she sat like that. She just knew that her tears on her face and neck had dried and she had curled into the fetal position when the door to her cell opened. The light was blinding and she shied away from it, closing her eyes and curling into her arms and legs.

The sound of a bowl and a glass of water being placed by her face startled her, but Ari didn't look up.

"Eat."

The voice was familiar, and caused Ari to give a small jerk. The tip of a boot nudged her arm, and the voice issued the same command.

"Eat. Now."

Ari opened her eyes and immediately locked on a pair of blue ones. They were partly hidden by strands of light brown hair, and they glared unfeelingly down at her. It was the man who had threatened her in the lobby of the hotel. The same man who had attempted to gun her down inside her hotel room.

And now here he was. Trying to force her to do one more thing.

A bubble of rage formed in the pit of her stomach. There was absolutely nothing she would take from this man. Despite the fact that her stomach growled traitorously at the smell of the stew in front of her, nothing in the world would make her willingly accept anything he had to offer. If denying food and water was one small stand she could take, then that is what she would do.

"I will not ask you again." He said coldly.

"Oh, go to hell." Ari snapped, and rolled over on her side, turning her back on him. She half expected him to kick her right there, but he simply picked up the bowl and the glass and left.

This continued for, what had to have been, days. Ari felt as if she had already lost track of time.

Each time the man with the blue eyes would come in and offer her food and water, and each time she would refuse. She knew she could survive without food for a while, but the signs of dehydration were starting to take effect and she knew she would struggle without water for much longer.

Ari's entire mouth and throat felt as if she had swallowed cotton balls. She was constantly parched, as if she had a thirst that could not be quenched. Her head was pounding constantly, and she felt exhausted from the smallest movements. The darkness helped her curl up and sleep as much as she could.

No one came to take her out of her cell to relieve herself, so she was forced to move as far as possible in her shackle from where she normally lay to pee. However, Ari hadn't felt the need to pee in quite some time, and felt disorientated and light headed every time she made an effort to get up.

She no longer responded when the man with the blue eyes came by.

Ari could hear her heartbeat pound in her ears as the metal door slid open once more. The sound of his footsteps were somewhat muffled as she curled in on herself.

It was a new voice that made her eyes flutter open.

"Well, well, well. What a mess you can make of things in such a short period of time, Ariadne."

Ari peeked out from the safety of her arms, and her eyes met another familiar face. This time, however, it was of someone she had only seen in photographs.

The lightest of brown eyes stared down at her. They were not cold, like blue-eyes, but rather calculating. They held no feeling of warmth; instead they analyzed her like she was a specimen. He clucked his tongue as she stared at him in shock, unable to form the words she wanted to.

"Yes, well, this will not do." He stood up, and ran a hand through his dark hair. He stared down at her for a moment, his thumb and forefinger rubbing the stubble on his chin, and then said. "Move her upstairs."

Ari tried to move, but her joints groaned in pain. He turned, as if he was about to leave, but she managed to get her mouth to work enough to say, "Wiedoff."

As blue-eyes leaned over her, sliding a syringe underneath her skin and inserting a drug into her bloodstream, Wiedoff turned to look back at her with a faint smirk. He stood there, his light brown eyes locked with hers, until the drug took hold of her, making him the last thing she saw before she was sucked back into unconsciousness.


	12. Chapter 11

**Thanks to all who have continued to read this story and review. It motivates me to know people enjoy this story. Hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

**Chapter 11**

Ari awoke to the sound of a Spanish soap opera. She had absolutely no idea what was being said. The music being played in the background was the only sign that this was a romantic moment between the characters.

When she opened her eyes, it took a moment for them to adjust. The room was very bright, covered in shades of white and cream. A fluorescent light overhead only added to the effect. There was a television hanging in the corner of the room, showing a couple locked in a passionate embrace. She could see shelves and cabinets filled with gloves, q-tips, cotton balls, and an assortment of liquids. The room looked similar to all the other hospital rooms she had been in before.

Except for the fact that her arms and chest were strapped tightly to the bed and armrests that she lay on, and an IV was inserted into her forearm.

Panic swept through Ari in waves, and she frantically tugged and strained against the straps. However, exhaustion overcame her almost immediately. She coughed, feeling her dry lips crack.

"Water?"

Ari jerked in her straps, trying to see who spoke from behind her. She watched as a familiar body materialized to her left. He held a glass of clear water in his hand and held it out to her.

She could feel his eyes on her, but she couldn't meet his gaze yet. Instead, she just gave a small nod while she stared at the sheet covering her lower body. When the rim of the glass touched her lips, she parted them a fraction of an inch to allow the liquid to trickle back.

As Wiedoff pulled the glass away, a little excess water dribbled down corner of her mouth and cheek. She jumped slightly in her straps when she felt his shirtsleeve wipe it away.

The sound of his chair being pulled up next to her was abnormally loud, even with the television on in the background.

"Well, Ari, I must say you certainly are a piece of work," He sighed. "Refusing to cooperate? Denying food? I'll admit I am impressed with your determination. A few more days and the intense effects of dehydration would have kicked in."

Ari glanced up at him and saw that Wiedoff was smiling. His teeth were perfectly straight and a brilliant white. It was the kind of smile that commercials for toothpaste would kill for.

It reminded Ari of a deadly animal with razor-tipped fangs.

She licked her lips and gave a slight cough, but her voice still came out raspy from disuse. "What do you want from me?"

Wiedoff's smile widened. "Well that's just the thing. I want many things from you, Ariadne. For instance, I want you to tell me where Dominic Cobb is hiding. I want to use you as a pawn to lure them in so that I may eliminate them. _What I want_," he emphasized. "_Is complete control over you mind._"

Ari could only stare at him. Not quite understanding him was worse. What he was saying sounded impossible, but there was nothing more terrifying than this man who truly believed he could accomplish his goals.

"The most wonderful part," he continued. "Is I'm going to achieve each of these goals. All in due time. However, what _I_ want to talk about right now is you."

Ari kept silent, knowing this was a time for her just to listen.

Wiedoff scooted closer and rested an elbow on the edge of her hospital bed. "You should know that we have you hooked up to IV to see if we can fill you out a bit again. I swear, you were practically willing yourself to die," He said with a laugh. "No such luck, I'm afraid. We'll need you around a bit longer."

Ari's hands clenched into fists, and she could feel Wiedoff's gaze boring a hole in her face. He continued speaking in a rather detached tone, as if he was discussing a rather boring topic and was just going through the motions.

"Your friend Yusef has not been of much use to us, but I haven't decided his fate quite yet. You should be warned that if you do not cooperate with me right now I will use any means necessary to extract the information from you. Do you understand? You can just nod your head 'yes' or 'no'."

Ari gave a slight jerk of her head indicating that she understood.

"Good. Now, I need you to answer me: were you in a romantic relationship with Dominic's partner Arthur?"

Ari gritted her teeth. This was personal. She wasn't sure exactly what to call her relationship with Arthur. They never had sex, but she couldn't deny that Arthur had kissed her. In fact, he had kissed her multiple times. Sometimes it was to calm her in those few moments he had seen her break down, but then there were the times it had been when she was making breakfast or folding laundry. Short, quick, and simple, but meaning so much more. They had never discussed exactly what their situation was or labeled their relationship. Since this job, they hadn't had time to talk about it alone.

Slowly, Ari nodded her head.

"Interesting," Wiedoff noted. "And are you still in a romantic relationship?"

Finally, Ari met his gaze. Her eyes were blazing with fury, but she ducked her head in reply.

"Delightful. That will be useful. Do you know if your friend Yusef happens to have any romantic connections in his life?"

Ari shook her head. She wasn't quite sure what his intentions were with that information, but she knew it wasn't good.

"Alright, Ari, you have you done quite well today. One final thing! Where is the location of Dominic Cobb?" Wiedoff leaned forward on his elbows, waiting for her to reply.

In fury, she locked her jaw and turned away. Ari heard him sigh in disappointment.

"Well then, I guess we will try again tomorrow." He patted her leg lightly, but she shrunk as far away from him as she could. "It's no matter. I figured I'd let you willingly disclose this information, but I'll find out soon enough."

Ari couldn't resist spitting at him, "You could pick apart my brain and I still would tell you nothing."

Wiedoff smiled good-naturedly. "Ari, what you need to realize is I already own your mind and thoughts. I just haven't decided what I want to do with it all yet."


	13. Chapter 12

**Thanks for your patience! I'm right in between midterms and finals at the moment in Uni, so it's been pretty busy by me. However, I'm hoping my updates will become more frequent. I know this one is short. It's pretty much a filler, but I figured out how I want to do my next chapter and I needed a transition chapter. Please continue to let me know your ****thoughts on the story! I love reading them!**

**Chapter 12**

"What's your greatest fear, Ariadne?"

Ari's breathing was labored; coming out in short puffs and gasps. She was sitting uncomfortably on a wooden chair, her arms bent and tied awkwardly behind her back. She was slouched over herself, and a small red stain was noticeable on her right thigh. A droplet of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth and landed on her pants, causing the stain to grow. Her hair hung in front of her face, damp from perspiration.

They had been at this for what felt like hours. She had woken up tied to the chair in a large warehouse room, and knew immediately that she was in a dream. However, the knowledge didn't make it any less terrifying.

Wiedoff and Blue-Eyes had been there; their footsteps echoing on the concrete floor. It reminded her of the dark room she had been locked in, and she felt her heart rate jump up a notch.

Blue-Eyes had started out with slapping and backhanding her senseless, each time Wiedoff whispered terrifying lies into her ear; saying she could end it all by telling them where Dominic Cobb was. Despite it being a dream, the pain was still there. Ari could feel a particular wound at her temple that was creating a pounding in her head and darkening her vision in her right eye. She could feel her split lip spilling blood down her chin, and was irritated she was unable to do anything about it.

When that hadn't worked they turned to weapons. It turned out that Blue-Eyes was particularly skilled with a blade. He knew that even the slightest of cuts could cause the sharpest of pains. There was a thin line across her right ribcage that stung sharply, and one across her collarbone that still throbbed with each beat of her heart. Little slashes criss-crossing the back of her neck still dribbled blood and was soaked up by her t-shirt.

Ari heard the pronounced click of the safety being taken off a gun. She knew she wouldn't have the luxury of being shot in the head or heart. It would only wake her up. No, they were going to continue to try to break her, and it was going to be painful.

She squeezed her eyes shut, anticipating the pain that was to come.

"Is it pain?" Wiedoff's voice was smooth, washing over her like waves lapping on a shore.

A gunshot fired, and Ariadne's scream filled the still air as she wiggled to protect her shattered kneecap.

His smooth voice continued to talk. "Dom has always believed that pain is in the mind. Physical pain, of course." He nudged her injured knee with his leg, causing Ari to shriek in pain and more tears to spill down her face. "I believe, however," He continued softly, "That emotional pain is just as useful of a tool. Don't you agree?"

Ariadne's gasping was the only response. She could feel him crouch down to her level, and raised her eyes to glare at him through her curtain of hair.

"I want you to understand exactly what I can do with you, Ariadne, before you make your decision to refuse to give up any information on your team."

Ari whispered weakly, "Fuck you."

She didn't even look up when she felt Wiedoff place his hands lightly on her thighs as he knelt in front of her. Ari wanted to cringe away, not only from the pressure he was putting on her knee but from Wiedoff himself. She didn't want to raise her head to stare into his face as he spoke gently to her.

"I know you know where the rest of your team is hiding, Ariadne. You sent them away when you caught some of my men tracking them, didn't you? Hmm?"

Ariadne merely spat a splatter of blood in his direction. She heard a chuckle in response.

"Yes, yes, I know you're upset. But really, it will not take much to find out where they are hiding. I've always prided myself in my ability to be persuasive. I've always been a firm believer that wearing down the mind is much easier than wearing down the body. However, I believe that is enough for today. I will explain everything tomorrow and we will try again, yes?"

Ari continued to watch the blood splatter grow on her pants. She heard the safety unclick and didn't want to see him raise the gun.

Ari woke with a gasp. She was alone in her cell, still strapped tightly to her hospital bed. The door had already swung shut, but she was sure she heard footsteps receding around the corner.

Then she began to scream.


	14. Chapter 13

Thanks again to everyone who's enjoying reading this! Big thank you to Legal-Assassin-006 and for always taking the time to leave a review. You all are so patient with my updates. I felt it was time that we revisited the rest of the team. Hope you all enjoy this next chapter and are excited to find out what's REALLY going on! Please leave your thoughts!

**Chapter 13**

Arthur felt as if he were pacing inside a cage. They were holed up at a small motel in Knocknaheeny, but had no idea where to go next. They had asked, or rather interrogated, the bartender who was working at the time Ari called, and questioned the other patrons as well. No one had seen head nor tail of her.

"She'll be alright, Arthur," Dom growled as he poured over the paperwork they had reviewed hundreds of times already. "They need to her to get to us."

"And what if they don't?" Arthur spit back. "Wiedoff has proven he can find us quite easily. What purpose does she serve for them?"

Dom responded without looking up from the paperwork. "Information. Leverage. He'll use her in whatever way he finds most useful."

Eames watched the point man grow more and more agitated. It was as if he was seeing a whole different Arthur. The Arthur they had worked with on previous jobs was always focused and calm. In front of him, however, was an Arthur who looked on the verge of a breakdown. His hair was ruffled, his clothes were disheveled, and he was irritable and unable to sit still.

It was thoroughly distracting. "Arthur, would you _sit down_?" Eames muttered, massaging his temples.

The point man's face darkened, and he looked ready to kill. Eames merely threw his hands in the air and sat back in his chair.

Dom's voice carried over to them, "They'll call. Soon enough."

Arthur turned sharply to face him. "We don't have your cell phone. How on earth do they plan on tracking us?"

"I'm guessing it will be rather simple for them to get a hold of us. We're not exactly trying to hide from them anymore. We're simply just waiting them out." Dom sighed and hung his head for a second before looking up to face one of his closest friends. "My guess is they're toying with her to see if she'll give up the information first, rather than hunt us down themselves."

Dom made a point not to say Ari's name, knowing that the mere sound of it was enough to raise Arthur's hackles.

He knew Arthur well enough to know that whatever it was he and Ari had, be it just friendship or a romantic relationship, it was something Arthur cherished dearly. That alone was strange. Throughout their entire friendship Arthur was notorious for being able to pick up and leave without a second thought, leaving nothing behind with no regrets. While Arthur was still his closest friend, there was no doubt that he and Ari had developed a deep personal bond as well.

"They'll call, Arthur," He said in a detached voice. He firmly believed they would, he just had no idea what they would do to Ari in the time being.

It was five days later they received the phone call on Eames's cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Evening, Dominic." A smooth voice said over the receiver.

Dom's back went stiff as a board. He put the phone on speaker so the other two could hear, and he spoke in a tense, controlled voice. "Adrian, I presume?"

"Indeed. I'd love to have some time to make small talk with you, but unfortunately Ariadne and I have some business to attend to rather shortly." Wiedoff's voice was pleasant, as if he were discussing a trip to the beach he would be taking.

Arthur was on his feet in seconds. "I swear if you have harmed her-"

"Ah, you must be Arthur," Wiedoff interrupted. "Yes, Ariadne has told me _so_ much about you. Well, let us be honest with each other and admit that that was just about the stupidest threat I've ever heard.I believe we both know Ariadne has not been sitting on a chaise drinking cocktails."

Arthur's face was purple from the arrogance laced in this man's words. He opened his mouth to retort, but Dom cut him off with a warning look.

"What is it that you need, Adrian? We can get it, as long as you don't touch Ari again." Dom knew that his words were weak, and that they were in no position to bargain.

"Let us be frank, Dominic." Wiedoff replied as if they were discussing a business deal. "First off, you should know that this number is secure and untraceable, so you should save yourself some time there. Second, you were hired by Central Intelligence to extract information on why I am working for the Russians and what I plan to do for them, correct?" He continued without pause, knowing that Dom had nothing to say anyway. "I am a fair man, Dominic, so I will make the task simpler for you. How about I tell you what I was hired for, and you choose to do what you will with that information?"

No one in the room replied. There was no choice in this for them, so they listened.

"I had been hired by the Central Intelligence Agency's National Clandestine Service as an Operations Officer for my superior skills in extraction. They then introduced me to the Liquidation and Distortion of Human Intelligence Program where we experimented with warping or fully removing memories and thoughts."

What Wiedoff was describing was unheard of. He either was lying or this program had been under the highest of security clearances. Wiedoff gave them a minute to let this knowledge sink in. Finally, Dom voiced what all of them had been thinking.

"What you're saying is absolutely impossible. You cannot remove a thought from a person's mind completely or warp it for your own use. It was created there. Inception alone has been the most difficult of mind manipulation. Attempting to completely twist an idea someone already created cannot possibly have been successful."

The three men could practically hear him smiling in his voice. "You are right and you are wrong, Dominic. Inception was and still remains to be the most difficult mind manipulation operation. However, it _is_ possible to warp and remove memories. Quite simple, actually. Which was why the Russian mafia paid good money to have me defect and work for them. " Wiedoff gave a small laugh before continuing. "It's funny, really. They knew immediately that you would be assigned the task of hunting me down, Dominic. I feel as if the Russian mafia knows more than we gave them credit for back at CI. They made it clear that you served no purpose to them, and that you were to be eliminated if we caught even the slightest hint that you were tailing us; couldn't risk the thought of you sending word to CI of whom I was working for."

Arthur was getting anxious. This speech still had told him nothing of Ari, and he had a dark feeling growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Now, my purpose for being hired was to seek out prominent political figures and use my acquired skills for the Russian's purposes. It's really as simple as that."

Dom growled out, "Then why do you need Ari? She's not a threat to your operation in any way."

"Mmm, you see, once again you're wrong. I have nothing personally against you, Dominic. In fact, I'm a huge admirer of your work. It really is rather inconvenient for me to kill you, and I'd much rather have you working for my team instead. Ari here is rather my leverage."

Eames watched Arthur's hands clench into fists, and he place a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I will give you a choice, Dominic. Your choice can decide not only your own fate, but Ari's as well. It would be most advantageous for you to consider being business partners. We would do quite well together. I can even offer to erase your memory of agreeing to a contract with the government. You could literally work guilt free." 

"And what of Ari?" Arthur growled.

Wiedoff spoke as if he were speaking to someone of a lower IQ. "She would be released, of course, with her memories in tact."

"And the rest of my team?"

"The flipside of the situation, if Dom refused, was left unsaid.

Negotiable," Wiedoff said dismissively. "Except for Yusef. His situation is not open for discussion."

Dom remained silent while Wiedoff continued to speak. "Don't you just love the rush of power you have? _You_ are the deciding factor, Dominic. It is _your_ choice." He purred over the phone.

"Doesn't seem like much of a choice to me," Eames murmured, his eyes narrowed in hate at the cell phone in Dom's hand.

Wiedoff continued as if Eames had not spoken. "I've always believed that choices are the hinges of destiny. You have 24 hours to make yours. Every hour after that I will tamper or remove a memory from her mind."

Then the line went dead.


	15. Chapter 14

**Thanks for your patience! I just finished 12 credits in four weeks. HELL. YES. Now I get to enjoy my summer. I hope you all have a wonderful fourth of July, even if you don't celebrate the holiday! Let me know what you think of the new chapter, even if it is a bit short. I'm just getting back in the swing of things, but don't worry! We are coming to a close soon.**

**Chapter 14**

**#1. **

She had only mentioned in passing as they were leaving the airport that she planned on moving to a new apartment once she was back in Paris. The comment had been made casually, and the only response she had received was "When?" She had told him the date without a second thought.

Yet there he was outside her old apartment building. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun as Ariadne stuck her head out the window.

"Eames? What on earth are you doing here?"

She could hear his chuckle from her third floor balcony.

"Just let me up, sweetheart. You can't carry all those boxes all by yourself."

Seven minutes later he was in her kitchen placing the last of the duck tape on her boxes. Ari could have sworn he said something to tease her about all her books, but she could no longer remember the words.

Sunshine streamed into her now bare apartment. The noises outside were muffled, and Ari appreciated the quiet.

She turned back to face the man in her apartment.

And screamed.

Where a face once had been was just smooth pale skin. She could no longer discern his hair color. Was it blonde? White? Was it black now?

The sunlight seemed blinding, and Ari shielded her eyes as her vision went completely white.

A voice seemed to whisper as softly as the summer breeze through her thoughts.

_They're never coming for you, Ariadne._

**#2.**

She was underwater again, back in the car after the kicks of the Inception job. She couldn't breathe. She needed oxygen.

Suddenly Arthur's face was in front of her. His hands reached for her, and she wrestled with her seatbelt, trying to get to him.

Her vision blurred in the water, and then she felt a pressure on her throat. Arthur's face was close now, but still distorted. His outline seemed blurred in the dark water.

But there was no mistaking his hand closing around her throat and the smile he gave her.

'Please', her brain screamed at him as her eyes begged Arthur to understand. 'No, don't-'

She felt the water flood her nostrils.

_They will hurt you, Ariadne._

**#3.**

She pressed the collar around the white button down shirt she was folding. It was much too big for her, and the knowledge that the person who wore it had stayed the night on her couch made Ari smile to herself.

Two strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against his body, and she felt him place a kiss right below her earlobe. It was the velvety softness of his lips that she relished most.

Ari twisted in his embrace, but her shoulders drooped almost instantaneously.

She no longer screamed at the faceless creature behind her, and almost welcomed the whiteness that followed.

_He doesn't love you, Ariadne._

**#4.**

She was in Mal's dining room, the one she and Dom had built for themselves in Limbo.

Dom promised Mal he'd stay, as the storm outside picked up.

Then Mal's eyes were on her, and Ari saw the knife in her hand. Strong hands gripped her arms tightly, jerking them behind her back.

Ari shrieked, trying to elbow Dom in the stomach as hard as she could while Mal advanced.

The metal glinted sharply as it slid into her stomach, her vision blurring once more at the pain.

_They want you dead, Ariadne._

**#5.**

She was on the dance floor of the Irish bar with Eames. He spun her around, chuckling at her lack of coordination. Arthur and Dom both kept an eye on her, and she waved in their direction. They both smiled, clearly amused at her antics

Eames spun her out in one direction, before twirling her back until she was pressed up against him.

Her eyes met Arthur's across the dance floor.

Two large hands placed themselves under her jaw and behind the back of her head. Ari felt her neck twist sharply to the right, and she collapsed immediately to the floor.

Her vision was blurry through the tears that leaked down her cheeks, but she could still make out Dom and Arthur's figures smiling and waving.

_They will kill you, Ariadne._

**#6.**

She was in the hotel room, peeking out the curtains. She searched the tables of the café below her for any signs of the boys. She let out a breath when she saw Arthur and Eames sitting at different tables.

She frowned. Perhaps it was the sunlight, but her vision seemed warped and blurred as she stared at Arthur. He seemed out of place by himself with so much paperwork spread out in front of him.

Ari felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle, and a feeling of unease washed over her. Her eyes flickered to her coworkers and their surroundings, slowly assessing each window of the building across from her.

Finally she spotted it. A man with binoculars, nearly eye level with her, was staring at her out his window.

He raised a hand in greeting, and then lowered the binoculars.

Dom grinned manically at her from the other building, and her world seemed to shimmer and blur.

_Never trust them, Ariadne._

**#7**

Her feet curled in the sand as she stared up at the decaying buildings in front of her. She coughed the water out of her lungs, and looked over her shoulder.

There was no one.

Ari spun on the spot, gazing frantically up and down the beach. Limbo stretched onto the horizon in front of her, while the sea lapped at her ankles.

She screamed into the nothingness.

_They have forgotten you, Ariadne._


	16. Chapter 15

**Thank you to those who have reviewed! I'm glad there are still a few people who are reading this fic. For those of you who are just anonymously reading, please feel free to leave a quick review! I'd love to know your thoughts on this. Hope everyone is having a great summer. Only a few chapters left!**

**Chapter 15**

"Do you know why you're here?"

Ari was strapped in her hospital bed. While Wiedoff had left her arms free, her wrists and elbows were rubbed raw. The rough red bands threw a sharp contrast to her pale skin.

She was about to retort that it was for his sick purposes to lure her friends here, but something stirred in the back of her mind that made her pause. The faces of her coworkers swim in front of her, but their soft smiles suddenly melt into manic grins. She could feel Arthur's arms around her as clearly as she could feel the knife Dom slid into her belly.

Ari ground the heel of her palms into her eyes, trying to blot out the visions that swirled in front of her. She could feel Wiedoff's eyes on her, waiting for her answer, but she chose to remain silent.

"Let's try another angle, shall we?" He prods gently. "Your friend, Yusef, told us everything."

Ari's eyes flicked to Blue-Eyes standing in the corner. His eyes were trained on her, analyzing every move she made. Her brow furrowed as she cocked her head at Wiedoff. He didn't move an inch; his eyes calculating her reaction.

Ari's brow furrowed more. "Who?"

Wiedoff doesn't blink, but Ari could see the corner of his mouth twitch. "Your friend Yusef. Surely you have been worried for him as well?"

Ariadne just stared at Wiedoff as if he had grown a second head. She had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. Was this some sort of test? Was he playing with her?

"What are you talking about?" She growled angrily, confused at this new approach Wiedoff seemed to be taking.

Without taking his eyes off of her, Wiedoff snapped his fingers towards Blue-Eyes who produced a manila folder from inside his jacket. Wiedoff flipped open the folder and perused its contents as if he were simply enjoying a food and wine magazine.

"Ah, here we go." He plucked a rectangular photo from a stack of papers and held it up in front of her face.

The photo was of a man who looked to be of middle-eastern descent. He had dark curly hair, and almond shaped brown eyes. He looked a little rounder than most men and a little unkempt, but there was nothing particularly striking about him.

Ari absorbed every detail of this man's face before looking back at Wiedoff. He studied her face, staring into her eyes until she felt uncomfortable and glanced away.

"Do you not recognize him?"

Ari glanced once more at the picture and shook her head. "I've never met this man." 

A wide grin split Wiedoff's face, and he let out a bark of laughter. Ari frowned.

Still chuckling, Wiedoff tucked the picture away in the folder. "Oh my dear, you have certainly spent a large amount of time with this man." He turned to hand the folder to Blue-Eyes, and Ari could see his eyes twinkling from where he stood. She suddenly felt as if they were laughing at her.

"You're mistaken. I've never met him in my life!" Ari wracked her brains searching for some sign of recognition, some recollection of him at any point in her life. There were none.

Her chest felt tight, and Ari tugged at the restraint.

Wiedoff watched her panic and confusion rise; his eyes bright. "No matter, he was disposed of rather quickly."

Ari paused for a moment, and stared down at her hands that were clenched tight around the restraint on her chest. She felt blood flood the inside of her mouth and realized she had bit into her cheek.

She was confused. It felt as if Wiedoff was laughing at her. Was she supposed to know this man? She didn't, and while she had no idea who he was a feeling of pity welled up inside her at the thought of his, undoubtedly, gruesome death.

This train of thought soon flooded with fear. Was she just as disposable?

"We should probably let the rest of your teammates know of his death, hmm?" Wiedoff flipped open his cell phone and pressed in a series of numbers. It rang twice before Ari heard a voice pick up on the other end. The voice on the receiver was unintelligible, but Wiedoff smiled at whatever was said.

"What a pleasant surprise, Eames. I didn't expect to hear from you on this line. I take it you are all ready to discuss my proposition?"

Wiedoff leaned back in his chair, his eyes trained on her. She focused on watching his mouth move as he spoke, not wanting to make eye contact with him any more than she should.

"I told you he was non-negotiable. He has been disposed of."

The voice on the receiver rose for a second before dropping off. Wiedoff's smile grew.

"Why hello, Dominic. I take it you have considered my offer?" He paused to listen for a moment. "Yes, well I will certainly divulge the location as soon as I am guaranteed of your cooperation."

The voice on the other end of the phone was too low now to even hear from where she sat.

"Well, I am sorry you feel that way. Perhaps I could convince you otherwise. Would you mind putting Arthur near the receiver?"

Wiedoff flipped the phone to speaker and aimed it where Ariadne sat. She stared at the little black device for a moment, listening to the crackle on the other end of the phone.

"Well say hello, Ariadne." 

She opened her mouth to do so when a voice cut through the white noise. "Ari?"

Ari felt as if her lungs were in a vacuum. All the air rushed from her body, and she felt a crushing weight against her chest. It felt as if a python had wound itself around her upper body and was constricting her organs until she couldn't breathe.

Her gasp must have been heard on the receiving end because the voice sounded more frantic. "Ari? Ari? Are you all right? Have they hurt you?"

_His arms wrap around her waist and she leans back into his chest._

"Arthur." She says softly.

_She can feel his lips below her earlobe._

"Ari, don't be afraid."

_She can feel his warmth through her shirt, and his breath on her neck._

"We are coming for you, Ari. Do you understand? _We are coming for you._"

_His hand is on her throat. The pressure in her chest builds as the water fills her lungs._

With a shriek, Ari swatted the phone away from her, knocking it out of Wiedoff's hands. She tried to scoot back in her bed, but the restraints kept her from moving. Instead, she let out a low keening sound, trying to curl in on herself.

Wiedoff's voice is velvety smooth on the phone. "Shall we discuss the details now, Dominic?"


	17. Chapter 16

Thanks for all your reviews, and to those who have stuck by me while I struggled for some inspiration. I know this is still a bit dark, but I'm hoping to have a sunny ending.

**Chapter 16**

It had been completely silent for hours. Or perhaps it was days? Ari felt as if she had lost any ability to judge how much time had elapsed since Wiedoff had jumped up and hurried from her room, cursing as he left. Since then, only the sound of her heartbeat beating loudly in her eardrums had been her companion.

Which was why she nearly jumped out of her skin when the door to her room burst open to expose a frantic and bleeding Arthur.

"Ari," he whispered, relief etched into every line of his face. "Oh thank god, Ari." He leaned against the doorframe, allowing himself a brief moment to close his eyes. "We have to get you out of here. Now."

He moved forward with his arms outstretched, but froze as Ari curled as far back into the bed as she could, her eyes wide in confusion and terror.

It was strange. Part of her wanted to bury her face against his chest and let him protect her from the rest of the world, but the other part of her could still feel his fingers digging into her windpipe trying to strangle the life out of her.

Hurt flashed across his eyes for a moment, and Ari watched as his arms dropped to his side. Ari couldn't stand to see the pained look in his eyes so she focused on the thin stream of blood that was slowly working its way down his temple. He just seemed so…lost.

His hands balled into fists, and his jaw clenched tightly. "I would _never_ hurt you," he ground out. Ari wished he would look at her so she could see if he was telling the truth, but he his glare was aimed at the floor.

Finally, he looked up at her, and Ari could see his eyes glistening brightly with unshed tears.

"Goddamnit, after everything _this _is how I'm going to lose you?" He looked away again, and Ari could see the muscles in his jaw working to keep himself composed.

After a moment, Arthur took a deep breath and said, "I just want to get you somewhere safe. I promise nothing will happen to you. Just let me help you." His voice seemed hollow, but Ari wanted nothing more than to get away from Wiedoff so she agreed.

He moved forward slowly so as not to startle her. Gently, he began removing the straps restricting her body, but she jumped nonetheless when his hand made contact with her arm. Arthur paused, not wishing to frighten her, and once again Ari was confused.

She could still recall memories of Arthur being this gentle with her, and suddenly her whole body felt warm. She could remember the softness of his hands on her shoulders, and the smell of his aftershave so close. For a moment, Ari is filled with contentment.

It takes a few minutes, but Arthur is patient and soon the bindings peeled away. The minute her arms were free she rubbed the spot on her arm where his hand had grazed lightly across her skin, and she vaguely wished that she could feel that feeling once more, just to be certain that it was real.

When she slid off the edge of the metal bed, she almost collapsed the instant her feet touched the ground. Her legs were weak from disuse, and her knees buckled from the sudden weight. Arthur's arms slipped around her waist, causing her to flinch for a moment. She raised her head to look at him, staring up with a mixture of fear and uncertainty.

"Are you ok?" He asked quietly.

Ari nodded, gripping his shirt tightly in her fists.

"Would it be alright if I carried you? I'm afraid we are running out of time."

She nodded mutely once more as he swung her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing at all. Ari relaxes a fraction into his arms, and if Arthur noticed he made no expression of it. His hands are warm against the bare skin of her back and thighs, and Ari suddenly realizes she is still in the hospital gown Wiedoff had dressed her in. However, her fear outweighed her embarrassment.

Arthur nudged the door open with his foot, juggling Ari and his gun as best as he could.

Ari is suddenly exposed to an explosion of noise. Without thinking, she burrowed her head into his shoulder, trying to block out the sounds of bullets and shouting that echoed down the corridor. All she could see around her were shadows and concrete.

And the dead man at Arthur's feet.

Arthur moved down the corridor in the opposite direction of the noise, far enough until she could no longer hear anything. The hallways seemed like a labyrinth, but Arthur moved as if he knew where he was going.

After some time, he finally seemed to have spotted what is was he had been looking for: a small window, tucked into an alcove.

Arthur tucked his gun into his waistband, then pushed the window up and peered out. Ari glanced over her shoulder, and could see a small landing with an old, rusted fire escape leading down the three stories that they were up to a pile of old trashbags. She also could see there seemed to be at least a six foot drop at the bottom.

Ari could feel Arthur's gaze on her, and turned to look at him.

"Ari, I'm going to need you to hold onto me as tightly as you possibly can, ok?

"Ok," she said softly, and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, taking in the faint smell of his aftershave. It felt familiar, and without warning she recalled smelling it the bathroom of her apartment when he was getting ready. Ari squeezed her eyes shut, trying to clear the memory from her head.

Arthur managed to maneuver her in his arms to where he was able to grasp the rungs of the ladder and maintain a decent grip on her. As he reached the lower rungs, he made a small sound of displeasure.

"Ari, do you trust me?"

She looked up at him from where she was tucked against his chest, and then glanced down at the garbage bags below.

"Let me rephrase that. I'm asking you to trust me. Please." She looked up at him once more, and his eyes were soft with concern. "I promised you I would not hurt you."

Ari averted her gaze, but nodded once. She felt a rush of air swirl around her, as well as Arthur's arms wrapping her tightly to his chest so he would take the full blow of the landing. While it wasn't the softest, and she could feel his grunt of pain reverberating from his chest, he pushed himself to his feet with ease.

"Are you alright?" He asked with concern.

She shook her head yes, and glanced out across the cement lot in front of them. A sleek black car was parked a few feet away, hidden in the shadow of a rather large garbage container. As Arthur made his way toward it, Ari peered back at the warehouse, and could see that it stretched for what seemed like miles across the barren concrete lot. She could barely make out where it ended in the distance. Arthur must have carried her the entire way.

The sound of the passenger side car door opening caused her to turn around, and she felt herself being lowered onto a cool leather seat. Every one of his movements was gentle, as if he were handling precious cargo. As he buckled her in, Ari felt his fingers skim gently across her forearm.

Finally, she looked up at him. "Where are the others?"

He stood up. "They gave me twenty minutes to get you before they got out of there." With that, he shut the door and moved around to the driver's side. After seeing the look on her face when he slid in, he sighed, "Don't worry. They had their own way to get back. I'm sure they are fine. _You _were the priority."

He started the car and peeled out of the parking lot. Ari curled up into herself on the seat, staring numbly out the window.


	18. Chapter 17

Well, here it is guys. Second to last chapter I will be posting for Choice. Finally managed to find some time to post this and wrap up the ending of the story. Sorry it took so long. UGHHHHH I'm not completely satisfied with it – like, at all – so I might edit it again if I find some inspiration. I wanted to keep things moving so this was more of a summary chapter. I want to thank all of you who have followed, favorited, and reviewed this story! It means the world to me! Feel free to check out my other stories on my profile page as well.

**Chapter 17**

Much of the rest of her time in Ireland passed by in a blur, although Ariadne supposed she ought to be used to that feeling by now. A strange sense of numbness had settled over her, which the agents referred to as a variation of PTSD. She found it strange, looking back over the course of the past few weeks, how so much could happen in so little time. One minute she was perfectly normal, working alongside her team, and the next she was a survivor of a kidnapping with only half of her memories in tact.

The CIA had apparently decided to step in to help with Dom's rescue mission, therefore the team had to spend much of their time afterwards debriefing various agents on every step of their operation. Despite her pitiful condition, Ari had been put under a grueling cross-examination before they allowed her release and packed their team back onto a plane to the U.S, making sure to keep each of them separated at all times for "security purposes".

Almost as soon as the plane touched down Ari had been whisked away into a nearby hospital. After having been strapped to a hospital bed for days on end, it took all of her self-control as well as some heavy doses of medication to get her to comply with the medical staff. . 'Malnourishment', 'extreme exhaustion', and 'dehydration' were all tossed around by nurses tending at her bedside to the point where Ari just closed her eyes and tuned them out, sinking into the hazy fog of her drugs.

Upon her release a week later, Ari was taken to the CIA headquarters in Langley, just south of Washington D.C., where she was met with the CIA's director of the National Clandestine Service who expressed his '_sincerest_ apologies' regarding the '_incident'_ that distorted many of her memories, and assured her that they would work with her to the best of their abilities to inform her of any events that she might be "_a bit hazy_" on.

Ari had resisted the urge to punch him.

She had received an even bigger surprise when the rest of her team – whom she hadn't seen since the day they left Ireland– had been ushered into the conference room behind her.

Arthur had only managed a breathless "Ari-" before the intelligence director quickly cut him off. Only Dom's hand on the point man's arm wiped the outraged look off his face and forced him to take a seat.

A stack of manila folders were passed around the table as the director and several agents began to inform them of the information they had collected and were permitted to share. To their displeasure, the four folders remained untouched and unopened; the attention of the three men to whom they were given remained locked on the small woman opposite them. Uncomfortable and unable to withstand their intense stares, Ari shrunk back in her seat and kept her eyes trained on her hands in her lap. After a slight pause, the director continued as if he took no notice of any of this.

First and foremost – Adrian Wiedoff had been shot and killed by one of their snipers during the raid. His body had been recovered by a tactical team, but, unfortunately, a large number of the Russian mafia members had managed to escape. However, according to the director that was none of their concern anymore. They were assured that the U.S. government would see to their protection, and that the sole reason they were being informed of this purely for informational purposes.

Yusef's body had also been recovered in the wreckage and was being returned to his native country. Ari flipped open the cover of her folder and stared down at the man she was supposed to know. The director had informed her beforehand that they provided as many files as they were able to in the her folder to see if it would trigger any memory of Yusef, but as Ari scanned through page after page a feeling of dread coursed through her. She felt nothing for this man – _nothing -_ other than sorrow that he must have died a painful death at the hands of Wiedoff. But he was no more familiar to her than any other stranger off the street. If it weren't for pictures of the two of them together, Ari would never have believed they had known each other in the first place.

As the knowledge that entire chunks of her memory had been removed began to sink in, Ari wrapped her arms tightly around her body to keep herself from shaking. She could feel Arthur's unwavering gaze observing her from across the table, but chose instead to direct her attention to the man beside him. Eames pinched the bridge of his nose as he stared down at the picture in his folder for a moment, and then gave a heavy sigh before shutting it, clearly wanting nothing more to do than leave the stuffy conference room and the contents of that folder behind.

The director quickly skimmed over the Liquidation and Distortion of Human Intelligence Program, not officially disclosing whether or not the program would continue running or be disbanded. Something about their lack of security clearance or some other bullshit excuse… The thought of someone else suffering a similar fate as her own made Ari sick to her stomach, and she now found herself wishing to escape the suffocating room as much as Eames.

The rest of the meeting passed by her like white noise. Ari's gaze was focused on a particular spot on the table that reflected the glare from the fluorescent light above, letting herself sink into that same detached state she felt in her hospital bed. It was a comfortable feeling, for once not worrying whether what she was looking at was real or a false distortion of her true memory.

Only when the sound of her name broke through her foggy thoughts did she sit up and focus. All eyes were upon her, and it didn't take her long to guess that they had been calling her name for some time now.

"Y-yes?" She stuttered, embarrassed to have been so removed from the conversation that she completely tuned them out.

Ari was certain if she was anyone else the director would have chewed her out for her disinterest, however, his eyes softened for a moment and he said, "You're free to go."

Pausing for a moment, Ari's eyes slid over to the other three men seated across the table who were staring back at her with unreadable expressions. Once again her discomfort got the best of her, and she softly shut the top of her folder and slipped out of the room without another glance back. She barely even heard the office assistant when she handed her a plane ticket and informed her that her flight back to France would be leaving in four hours. Ari simply nodded numbly, feeling incredibly hollow as if she were going to blow away any second.

It wasn't until the elevator that Ari allowed herself to slump against the wall, sucking in deep breaths to keep her head from spinning.

It was all just too much.

Everything felt claustrophobic. The conference room, the elevator, the plane, the taxicab… Ari was unable to relax until she stepped through the threshold of her flat in Paris, the stiffness in her posture finally easing as she soaked up the sight of it.

It was all familiar, and yet she explored it like it was some ethereal paradise. The white walls and French doors that led to her balcony, allowing the Parisian sunshine to filter brightly through. The dark wood floors and tiled backwash above her sink. Ari quickly pulled the balcony doors open, taking a deep breath as a gust of wind blew past and sent her drapes fluttering behind her.

It was all hers. This was where she would be starting over.

The only difficulty was the photographs. She found them scattered _everywhere _– in every room in the house, in her drawers, in boxes, shoved into the corner of her mirror, on a corkboard above her desk… Some were of friends from school or of family from a while back, nothing that she didn't remember. Those memories had never been touched. There were also some of her with her team taken at various locations after they had finished up a job. Ari's fingers ghosted over their faces, all of which were smiling back up at her with their arms resting on each other's shoulders. They had taken this one when Eames had been in Paris visiting her after she had graduated. Ari remembered clearly how surprised she had been to see each member of her team in attendance, with the exception of Yusef.

The worst discovery had been the stash of pictures in her closet pinned around the little mirror she hung on the wall above her jewelry drawer. With his dark hair, piercing eyes, strong cheekbones, and arms wrapped around her shoulders, the images of her and Arthur together made her chest tighten and her heart ache. The whole mess was confusing enough as it was, and now she wasn't sure if she should hold on to theses photos for dear life as proof of his kindness or to toss them with the rest of her trash and start fresh.

For now, she simply avoided wearing jewelry.

Ari spent most of her time reading on her balcony in the sunshine. She tried not to think about the past couple weeks, and instead chose to focus on doing something positive and productive such as catching up on her reading list a professor had suggested to her after she graduated. She was almost to the halfway mark of Bronte's "Jane Eyre" when a knock sounded at her door, interrupting her thoughts.

"Open up, love, I brought take-out."

"Eames," Ari muttered, putting her book face down on the chair. She pattered across her apartment and unlatched the door, pulling it wide to allow the tall blonde to enter. The smell of fresh basil and pasta wafted into her apartment, making her stomach growl. Eames's eyes flashed to her abdomen and he smirked.

"Seems I'm right on time," He chuckled as he placed the Styrofoam containers on her spotless counter. Pulling open the fridge, he clucked his tongue, "Just as I suspected. Not an ounce of food in this place."

Ari simply stared at him. "Eames, what are you doing here?"

"What? Can't friends stop in to check on each other? Especially after everything that's happened? Dom wanted to come with but he's still filling out paperwork." He rolled his eyes at this. "Bastards at the agency really don't let up on that stuff."

She knew she was on to something when he wouldn't meet her eyes, instead focusing his attention on distributing portions of noodles onto plates.

Frowning, Ari turned her back on him and made her way towards the balcony. "Look, I'm fine Eames. I'm not going crazy or anything. I'm just moving on with my life."

A fork clattered onto the countertop behind her, and Ari didn't have time to turn before strong arms wrapped themselves around her stomach and Eames's forehead rested against the back of her head. He didn't speak for a few seconds, and she could feel his arms shaking around her.

"I know, I know you are. And after everything, I'm happy that you're keeping yourself together. I just… I didn't want your life to move on without me in it. I don't want you to forget me too, Ari, like you did with Yusef."

Letting out a sigh to keep her tears from spilling over, Ari gently disentangled herself from his grasp before turning to pat his cheek. She could clearly see how distraught he was over everything that had happened to her, and sudedenly the realization of just how _alone_ she had been these past few days struck her. Life had moved on without her and she no longer fit in. She felt as weightless as the curtains that fluttered in her apartment. Ari realized that this wasn't moving on. It was self-imposed isolation. Moving on didn't mean she had to abandon everything from her old life. She just needed to make sure he knew-

"This is going to take some work." Her voice was quiet as she gazed up at him, and he nodded in understanding. She needed him to realize that there were still times where all she saw was his hands reaching towards her throat. "You'll have to be patient at times."

"Ari, believe me, I underst-."

She held up a hand to interrupt him. "I…I feel really lost at times, Eames, like the one thing that grounded me is gone. And," At this, she finally gave him a full-blown smile. "I could really use a friend right now."

She meant every word. Maybe a friend was the missing link in her life. Maybe Eames could fill whatever void she had right now. Right now, she wasn't quite sure of her place in this world or how to start living her life again without working with Dom.

But a friend? It was a start.


	19. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: **Thank you to all my readers who have stuck by me and continued to follow this story even with my long hiatus. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the favorites, follows, and reviews that you all have left me. Enjoy the last bit!

**Epilogue**

Ari had yet to find something as breathtaking as the perfect summer day in Paris. Curled in her usual spot on the balcony, this time with one of Jane Austen's novels, a gentle breeze tousled her dark hair back away from her forehead as she carefully turned another page. There was something so calming to her about losing herself in a book, blocking out the sounds of reality. It was almost like escaping into somebody else's dream but without the threat of limbo.

She was so lost in her book that she almost missed the sound of her phone ringing from inside the apartment. Ari let it go to voicemail, figuring it was Eames calling to check up on her again, but bolted upright when the sound of another familiar voice called out.

"Ariadne, hey! It's Dom. Listen, I just managed to leave the agency so I'm going to head home to see Phillipa and James, but I'd really love to see you if you had some free time next week. Let me know and I'll book a flight."

Skidding into the kitchen, Ari darted for the phone but Dom had already hung up by the time she picked up. Placing it back onto the receiver, she made a mental note to call him back later that evening.

As she was about to retreat back to her balcony, the sound of keys jingling in the lock caused her to pause. Wondering if she had misheard, Ari padded barefoot across the kitchen to peer at her door. At the sound of the lock turning, she moved out into the open so that she would have a direct view of whoever was entering. She couldn't recall if she had given a key to anyone else, or if perhaps it was just her landlord coming to check up on her.

"H-Hello? Who's-"

Her words lodged in her throat as the door swung open.

Because standing in her doorway, hand still poised on the doorknob with a look that was a cross between surprise and relief, was Arthur.

It was as if her stomach fell through her feet and onto the floor. Her mouth moved wordlessly as she stared at him with a surprised look. He hadn't called – hadn't spoken with her, truthfully, in a very long time – and Ari suddenly felt as if a rug had been pulled out from underneath her feet.

Arthur must have realized this because his steps forward were slow and cautious, as if he was trying not to startle a deer. He didn't say anything, but Ari could hear the sound of his shaky breathing from where she stood and a thought struck her that this was the most disorganized and spontaneous Arthur had been in a while. At least, from what she could remember.

The door was left open, an escape for her if she needed it, and the closer he grew the more her heart began to race… but, strangely, it wasn't out of fear.

Her days with Eames had given her some time to move past some of her warped memories and to begin to trust her new ones. She was able to notice the strange buzzing sound that would fill her ears whenever she stumbled across a memory that Wiedoff had messed with, and would take deep steadying breaths to focus. It was getting easier to recognize them and to calm herself down without making a scene and drawing attention to herself.

He had still noticed, but that was what she expected of Eames.

Arthur was to be the true test, however - the one person who could either set back all of her progress or determine if she finally was past the destruction Wiedoff had created in her mind. As he drew closer her mind flashed back to the image of him choking the life out of her, and her breathing hitched slightly. That strange buzzing, like a fly or mosquito near her ear, filled her thoughts and slowly she began to count backwards in her head to drown out the sound.

_10…It's only a dream…9… Just an illusion, just breathe…8…_

He was only a foot away now, his eyes analyzing every inch of her. A strange ache began to fill her heart, and the space between them suddenly made Ari feel very much alone.

_7… He had never hurt you before, Ari… 6…5… He's the one who _saved_ you...4… Wiedoff did this…_

Her eyes slowly slid up his face until they locked with his, and the concern and tenderness that shone there almost overwhelmed her.

_3…2…1…_

Letting out a deep breathe when her heart rate steadied once more, Ari opened her mouth as if to speak. Yet, what was there to say? Apologies had no place here – it was neither of their faults for how they ended up like this. Small talk seemed awkward, and Arthur had never been good at it anyway. But Ari needed to close this gap between them. Despite the horrors that would still occasionally fill her head, she was drawn to this man like a moth to a flame.

Closing her mouth, she slowly crossed the last two steps between them and wrapped her arms timidly around his torso. She rested her cheek against his chest, listening to the rapid pace of his heartbeat, and gradually began to relax when to strong arms folded themselves gently around her waist. As her muscles loosened, Arthur gathered her further into his arms, holding her tightly against her and resting his cheek on top of her head. While the warmth surrounded her, Ari finally felt as if that void that had filled her heart was patching itself together little by little.

It hadn't been the distortion of her memories that had made her feel so lost. It was the fact that she had not had this man by her side to help her through it all. So as the sunlight streamed through her apartment, the breeze fluttering the curtains and tousling their hair, Ari sank into the comforting embrace of the man who continued to love her despite her faults.

And while she was terrified of what was to come, she knew that this was how she wanted to begin her life again.

And that, more than anything, finally brought her a sense of peace.


End file.
